Women MAKE Awards Communications Toolkit

Press Release Copy:

WOMEN MAKE AWARDS RECOGNIZE EXCELLENCE IN MANUFACTURING

The Manufacturing Institute Will Honor [COMPANY NAME, TITLE,  NAME OF PERSON].

[CITY], March 8, 2024: The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—announced that [COMPANY NAME, TITLE, NAME OF PERSON] has been recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER]. This annual national awards program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.

[QUOTE FROM HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER]

The Women MAKE Awards are part of the MI’s Women MAKE America initiative, which is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing. Women account for about half of the U.S. labor force but represent less than one-third of the manufacturing workforce. Women MAKE America aims to build the 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the industry.

“The Women MAKE Awards showcase the vibrant, diverse and rewarding careers in the industry and how women have excelled as manufacturing leaders, paying it forward to inspire and uplift the next generation to pursue opportunities in modern manufacturing,” said Caterpillar Group President of Resource Industries and Women MAKE Awards Chair Denise Johnson.

The Women MAKE Awards gala honors 100 industry leaders (“Honorees”) and 30 rising stars (“Emerging Leaders ”) who have been nominated by their companies as the “go-to” women, recognized for their innovation, dedication, contributions and good counsel. Honorees are further rewarded with access to a two-day leadership development conference in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to the evening awards gala. Since its launch in 2011, the program has honored and recognized more than 1,400 Honorees and Emerging Leaders.

[QUOTE FROM COMPANY EXECUTIVE]

“With more than 600,000 open jobs in manufacturing today and the continued need to fill millions more jobs by the end of the decade, it’s critical for manufacturers to engage the largest underrepresented pool of talent: women,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “The 2024 Women MAKE Awards gala promises to be an inspirational, powerful event, where some of the brightest stars in manufacturing will be recognized for the incredible work they have done—both to grow our industry and to uplift others like them.”

On April 18, the MI will recognize 130 recipients of the Women MAKE Awards in Washington, D.C. The evening will highlight the story of each Honoree and Emerging Leader, including their leadership and accomplishments in manufacturing.

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ABOUT COMPANY

[Sentence about company.] For more information, please visit [www.companywebsite.com].

ABOUT THE MANUFACTURING INSTITUTE

The Manufacturing Institute builds, diversifies and strengthens the modern manufacturing workforce, with the goal of furthering individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. The MI engages underrepresented communities and shifts perceptions about careers in modern manufacturing, leads skilled training and career development programs, provides thought leadership and research on the changing state of the workforce and builds partnerships to scale up its impact on manufacturing in the United States. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions for the industry’s toughest challenges. For more information, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.

• Twitter: Thank you to @TheMFGInstitute for recognizing me as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [Honoree/Emerging Leader] alongside other #MFGwomen and thank you [@COMPANY] for the nomination. I look forward to celebrating our efforts to close the gender gap in manufacturing on April 18! [LINK TO NATIONAL/COMPANY PRESS RELEASE]
• Facebook/LinkedIn: As a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [Honoree/Emerging Leader], I am honored to represent #MFGwomen from [TAGCOMPANY] and proud to support our current and future female workforce.[INSERT  PERSONAL NOTE: FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO BE A WOMAN IN MANUFACTURING /PROVIDE A BRIEF SUMMARY OF HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY]
• Instagram: I am honored to be recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [Honoree/Emerging Leader] and work alongside @themfginstitute to increase the number of #MFGwomen in the industry to 35% by 2030.

• Twitter: We are proud to announce [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] has been named a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [Honoree/Emerging Leader] by @TheMFGInstitute. We look forward to continuing to support efforts to increase the number of #MFGwomen to 35% by 2030. [LINK TO NATIONAL/COMPANY PRESS RELEASE]
• Facebook/LinkedIn: Today, our very own [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] was named a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [Honoree/Emerging Leader] by [TAG The Manufacturing Institute]. We are proud to support #MFGwomen and efforts to close the gender gap in manufacturing by increasing the number of women in the industry to 35% by 2030. [LINK TO NATIONAL/COMPANY PRESS RELEASE]
• Instagram: Congratulations to our very own [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] for being named a 2024 Women MAKE Awards [Honoree/Emerging Leader]. This award recognizes outstanding #MFGwomen, and we look forward to continuing to support efforts that increase the number of women in manufacturing to 35% by 2030. Learn more about the Women MAKE Awards from @themfginstitute.

On April 18, the Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—recognized [NAME of HONOREE] as well as 129 other women as recipients of the 2024 Women MAKE Awards. For more than a decade, the Women MAKE Awards (formerly the STEP Ahead Awards) have honored women at all levels of the manufacturing industry who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in their careers.

[INSERT PARAGRAPH SUMMARY ON HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS.]

“The Women MAKE Awards showcase the vibrant, diverse and rewarding careers in the industry and how women have excelled as manufacturing leaders, paying it forward to inspire and uplift the next generation to pursue opportunities in modern manufacturing,” said Caterpillar Group President of Resource Industries and Women MAKE Awards Chair Denise Johnson.

“With more than 600,000 open jobs in manufacturing today and the continued need to fill millions more jobs by the end of the decade, it’s critical for manufacturers to engage the largest underrepresented pool of talent: women,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee. “The 2024 Women MAKE Awards gala promises to be an inspirational, powerful event, where some of the brightest stars in manufacturing will be recognized for the incredible work they have done—both to grow our industry and to uplift others like them.”

The Women MAKE Awards are a cornerstone of the MI’s Women MAKE America initiative, which is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing by fostering a 21st-century manufacturing workforce that empowers and inspires women in the industry. The Women MAKE Awards honor exceptional women in manufacturing through an annual awards gala and associated leadership training program.

Last year, the MI launched its 35×30 campaign, which aims to increase the percentage of women among manufacturers from 29% to 35% by 2030 by changing perceptions among women and girls about manufacturing as a career, attracting and retaining more female employees.

For more information about the Women MAKE America initiative, please visit themanufacturinginstitute.org/women.

The Honorable [NAME]__________

Dear [Gov./Sen./Rep./Etc.],

The Manufacturing Institute, the 501(c)(3) workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, is pleased to inform you that [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] from [COMPANY] will be honored with a 2024 Women MAKE Award on April 18, 2024.

We request that you recognize [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] receiving this national honor with an official proclamation. We have provided a sample proclamation below for your convenience.

Manufacturing is the strength of our nation, and our workforce is the power behind that engine. Manufacturers of all sizes and sectors need a skilled and qualified workforce. Yet, the skills gap we face continues to grow, and a large part of that gap is due to the underrepresentation of women in our industry.

The Women MAKE America initiative is the nation’s marquee program to close the gender gap in manufacturing by fostering a 21st-century manufacturing workforce by empowering and inspiring women in the manufacturing industry through recognition, research and leadership.

To date, the Women MAKE Awards (formerly known as the STEP Ahead Awards) has recognized more than 1,400 women who are not only making significant contributions to their company and community but are also dedicated to paying it forward by mentoring the next generation. These awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.

The manufacturing industry is the backbone of the U.S. economy, supporting millions of American jobs. Our efforts and the Women MAKE America initiative continue to support the growth of this industry. For more information about this award, please visit themanufacturinginstitute.org/women.

Thank you in advance for your consideration and approval of our request. Please contact MI National Director of Women’s Engagement Isabelle Powell at [email protected] or by phone at (704) 589-7203 with any questions or for more opportunities to commend [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER]’s achievements.

Sincerely,

NAME

WHEREAS The Manufacturing Institute’s 2024 Women MAKE Awards will be celebrated on April 18, 2024, to honor women who are leaders in modern manufacturing; and

WHEREAS [NAME OF HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] from [COMPANY] will be recognized as an [HONOREE/EMERGING LEADER] at the 2024 Women MAKE Awards, helping to inspire more women to consider a career in manufacturing; and

WHEREAS celebrating women in science, technology, engineering and production careers is an effective way to change the perception of manufacturing careers and to showcase the rewarding and lucrative manufacturing jobs in the industry; and

WHEREAS there are hundreds of thousands of unfilled manufacturing jobs and a need for more skilled and talented creators and innovators in the industry; and

WHEREAS women represent only 29% of the modern manufacturing workforce and are therefore an untapped talent resource for modern manufacturers; and

WHEREAS by honoring women leaders, manufacturers will begin to address the skills gap they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry; and

WHEREAS [STATE] commends and supports this important cause and the organizations involved;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, [NAME, GOVERNOR/SENATOR/REPRESENTATIVE] of [STATE], do hereby proclaim [XXX].